Working on high voltage lines is a dangerous job. Despite many precautions enforced by the profession, lethal accidents still occur. Due to the location of high voltage transmission lines spanning the landscape removed from contact with ground surfaces, linemen typically drive vehicles to specific locations where an outage is determined or where maintenance or repair is required. Resultantly, linemen are mobile operators, and are typically raised towards a targeted high voltage transmission line by mechanical action of an articulated boom arm drivable from manual controls disposed in a bucket lift connected to a vehicle. To protect the lineman, this bucket lift is typically insulated, often wrought of fiberglass or another non-conducting material. Additionally, insulating shields connectable to the bucket lift directly are sometimes employed to protect the operator from direct contact with high voltage lines.
However, problems nonetheless result and lethal accidents still occur. High voltage lines are often proximal additional lines, some at various heights relative one another. This means that targeting some lines, or any particular line, may inadvertently bring the operator, the bucket lift, and/or the boom arm itself, into proximity to other lines.
Additionally, the controls by which the lineman may direct the bucket lift must string electrical circuits and hydraulic lines through the boom arm to effect the necessary mechanical action. In some circumstances, these conduits can become conductors and channel current actually into the bucket lift whereat the lineman is directing the controls.
While portions of the boom arm and the bucket lift itself are often insulated, either with appropriate surface materials or by construction out of insulating materials themselves, portions of the boom arm (which must exhibit tensile strength and rigidity to maintain the bucket lift aloft) typically include conducting materials, such as metals. Particularly, the knuckle of the boom arm—that is, the articulated joint enabling pivotal action of the boom arm—is often wrought of metal hinged together. Due to the movement of the boom arm around this knuckle, covering of the knuckle itself is problematic. Thus, especially when directing the bucket lift to particular lines above additional lines, the knuckle can be subject to arcing from proximal lines and, in some instances, inadvertent contact with the lines themselves. This can cause a lethal accident.
What is needed is an insulated boom knuckle cover for high voltage line truck that enables expedient attachment to the boom arm of a variety of trucks, without impeding the movement of the boom arm, and enables shielding of the knuckle from contact with, or arcing from, proximal high voltage transmission lines.